Patent · US Expired

Oscillation polarization mode selective semiconductor laser, light transmitter and optical communication system using the laser

US5790581A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
7References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 9, 1997
Grant dateAug 4, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 9, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S2301/14
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An oscillation polarization mode selective semiconductor laser for selectively performing one of oscillations in different polarization modes, is provided. The semiconductor laser includes a substrate, a laser structure formed on the substrate, and a phase shift region formed in the laser structure. The laser structure includes an active region in which population inversion is established by a current injection thereinto. At least a portion of the phase shift region has a strained quantum well structure in which degrees of a change in refractive index for internal light in different polarization modes due to a current injection thereinto are different from each other. The polarization mode of a light output from the laser can be changed by a small amount of current injected into the phase shift region, and fluctuation in the output intensity can be suppressed during a transition operation in polarization mode.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.